Construction is underway on a major green infrastructure project at Mill Creek Park, part of Kansas City’s ongoing efforts to improve stormwater management and protect local waterways.

The project is being implemented through the Smart Sewer program, a long-term initiative led by KC Water to reduce sewer overflows and improve water quality across the city. The improvements at Mill Creek Park focus on capturing stormwater runoff and managing it naturally within the park before it enters the combined sewer system.

What’s Happening at the Park

Work in the northern portion of the park includes new infrastructure designed to collect stormwater runoff from nearby streets and direct it to landscaped green infrastructure areas within the park. These areas use soil, plants, and natural filtration to absorb and treat stormwater.

Construction has already been completed on the stormwater collection system that routes runoff from Main Street toward the new green infrastructure facility.

The construction work is being carried out by MegaKC in partnership with KC Water and other project partners.

What Is Green Infrastructure?

Green infrastructure is an approach that manages stormwater more like nature would—by capturing rain where it falls and allowing it to soak into the ground rather than overwhelming underground pipes.

These systems can include features such as Bioretention basins, rain gardens, native plantings, and landscaped areas designed to slow and filter stormwater.

By keeping rainwater out of the sewer system, green infrastructure helps reduce pollution entering local creeks and rivers, improves water quality, and reduces pressure on the city’s aging sewer infrastructure.

Why This Project Matters

Mill Creek Park sits within the Brush Creek watershed and receives runoff from nearby streets and urban surfaces. During heavy rainfall, stormwater can overwhelm combined sewer systems, leading to overflow events that impact local waterways. The green infrastructure improvements at the park are designed to reduce those impacts.

Projects like this demonstrate how infrastructure improvements can also support public spaces. By integrating green infrastructure into parks, Kansas City is investing in solutions that both improve environmental outcomes and enhance community assets.

Mill Creek Park remains one of Kansas City’s most iconic gathering spaces, and this project represents an important step toward making the park and the surrounding watershed more resilient for the future.

Learn more about the project here:
https://www.kcsmartsewer.us/projects/green-infrastructure-mill-creek-park